FF14 ‘stalker plugin’ PlayerScope shut down after creator says they were sent a cease & desist—though that’s not quite the end of it

by

In simple terms, Final Fantasy 14 is experiencing a technical glitch that has persisted for several months. The core of the problem lies in an update to the game’s blacklist system, intended to prevent stalking, which unfortunately allowed modders to access information about every character their targets had interacted with. This unintended consequence left players more exposed than they were previously. Square Enix attempted to resolve the issue, but their efforts thus far have been unsuccessful.

As of now, the game client for Final Fantasy XIV transmits an account ID to players, which can be scraped although it’s hidden. This ID is somewhat concealed with various levels of confusion, but as demonstrated in the provided link, it has already been deciphered for quite some time.

The approach taken by Square in creating this system has some advantages, even if a stalker manages to gain access to someone’s account ID and their alternate characters. However, it’s unfortunate that Creative Studio 3 has consistently failed to hit the target with their implementations.

The focus of this debate is PlayerScope, a modification that aimed to gather account IDs into a database for later access through the mod. Its creator, Generall, made some insincere efforts towards ensuring privacy, although these measures fell far short—for instance, he suggested that victims of stalking should voluntarily provide their account IDs for removal from the mod.

It’s quite risky to rely on someone unknown, particularly when they’ve created something that leaves you exposed. Unfortunately, PlayerScope has vanished from the scene. The creator of PlayerScope on their Discord server mentioned receiving a ‘cease and desist’ notice.

General has announced that they are closing down the PlayerScope project completely, along with all related systems, following a legal demand for them to stop operations. This action seems to indicate an irreversible termination of the project.

I am announcing that the PlayerScope plugin has been permanently discontinued. All data associated with it, such as character and user information, have been erased from my server, GitHub, and GitFlic. I no longer provide support for this plugin or any of its components.

So, that’s what you think? I’m sorry to say, but wrong again. One head of the hydra has been chopped off, yet a dozen more lurk beneath the water.

It’s highly probable that malicious entities discovered this security flaw (PlayerScope’s vulnerability) prior to its public disclosure, enabling them to infiltrate users’ accounts by acquiring their unique identifiers. Subsequently, they might have employed personal tools or external mods to track and monitor their victims.

It’s beneficial that Square Enix is halting public initiatives, but they ought to take stronger actions than just sending cease and desist letters or politely requesting compliance. To be clear, this is a misstep on the studio’s part. Although third-party tools violate Final Fantasy XIV’s terms of service, it’s unrealistic to assume that no one will breach them. Malicious individuals will always exist, and it’s Square Enix’s duty to ensure their targets are adequately safeguarded.

1. Top Massively Multiplayer Online Games: Extensive Multiplayer Experience

2. Leading Strategy Games: Intricate Number Analysis

3. Superior Open-World Games: Endless Discovery

4. Outstanding Survival Games: Thrive, Create and Emote

5. Premier Horror Games: Flee or Confront the Unknown

Read More

2025-06-20 13:47